Weekly Update: Quakes return home to host Galaxy on June 29

The Earthquakes return home for the first time since May 18 to take on the LA Galaxy in the Bay Area’s sporting event of the summer. The Quakes host the Galaxy at Stanford Stadium at 7:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 29, presented by XFINITY. The match, which already has over 40,000 tickets sold, will feature a Salute to the Armed Forces at halftime and a postgame fireworks extravaganza. The game will air live on Comcast SportsNet California, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF.

D.C. United scored in the 11th minute on a penalty kick and held on for the 1-0 victory despite a flurry of second half chances for the Quakes. D.C. United scored the game’s first goal on a penalty kick. Chris Korb got the ball in the box and was taken down as he created some space for himself. Chris Pontius then slotted home the spot kick past Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch for a 1-0 United advantage. Busch came up with a good save in the 18th minute to keep the D.C. lead at one. John Thorrington picked up a loose ball at the edge of the penalty box and curled a shot toward the upper corner. Busch leapt and tipped the ball away to prevent the goal. Shea Salinas nearly found the equalizer just over 15 minutes into the second half. Sam Cronin found him inside the box with a nicely weighted ball. Salinas took a touch to control it, before firing a hard shot that forced United goalkeeper Bill Hamid into a difficult save. Adam Jahn also came close to tying up the match after a nifty play in the box. He received a through ball and cut back around his defender before curling a left footed shot. The ball beat Hamid but rang off the far post and out of play in the 73rd minute. A late sliding volley by Alan Gordon also just missed, as San Jose pushed forward looking for the equalizer.

OPPONENT INFO

Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy All-Time

MLS Regular Season: 17-25-9

Home: 12-9-6 (39 GF, 35 GA)

Away: 5-16-3 (30 GF, 45 GA)

Shootout (1996-99): 1-4; Overtime (2000-03): 0-0-4

Playoffs: 4-5-1; US Open Cup: 0-4-0

All-Time Scoring: San Jose – 69, LA Galaxy – 80

LA Galaxy Scouting Report

The LA Galaxy (7-6-3, 21 pts.) are currently fourth in the Western Conference. They are coming off of a 1-0 win against Southern California rival Chivas USA thanks to a goal from rookie forward Gyasi Zardes. The Galaxy are led by Designated Players Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane. Keane tops their scoring charts with five goals and four assists while Donovan joins Brazilian Marcelo Sarvas for the team lead in assists with four as well. After a relatively slow start to the season for the reigning MLS Cup champions, the Galaxy have made several mid-season trades – sending leading-scorer Mike Magee to Chicago for the right of first refusal to winger Robbie Rogers and later acquiring veteran midfielder Pablo Mastroeni and the right of first refusal to midfielder Baggio Husidic from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for an international roster spot and a second-round pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. Mastroeni played under current Galaxy head-coach Bruce Arena on the United States national team at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

History of the Earthquakes – LA Galaxy Rivalry

As the two original MLS teams in California, the Earthquakes (then known as the Clash) and the Galaxy met for the first time on April 28, 1996, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. … In front of a crowd of 40,347, the Clash fell to the Galaxy, 2-1 … From 1996-2005, the in-state rivals matched up more than any other teams in the league … Along with playing each other 48 times in the regular season, the Quakes and the Galaxy have also faced off eight times in the postseason and four times in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup … The teams squared off in the playoffs in 1996, 2003 and 2005, as well as the 2001 MLS Cup … The Galaxy captured the 1996 conference semifinal series, two games to one, taking the final two contests at the Rose Bowl by identical scores of 2-0 … In 2001, the sides met in the MLS Cup, with the Quakes producing a come-from-behind 2-1 triumph at Columbus Crew Stadium as Dwayne De Rosario scored the winner in overtime … The 2003 Western Conference Semifinal series produced one of the most memorable games in league history … After dropping the road leg of a two-game set, 2-0, San Jose fell behind by that same score after just 13 minutes of the home return to trail the series, 4-0 on aggregate … The Quakes responded with a four-goal explosion in regulation to level the aggregate, 4-4, getting the fourth from Chris Ronér in the 90th minute just moments after he had come into the game … Fellow second-half substitute Rodrigo Faria then struck six minutes into sudden-death overtime to send San Jose to the Western Conference Finals, and ultimately its second MLS Cup … In 2005, having lost the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals, 3-1, at The Home Depot Center, the Quakes needed another two-goal comeback to win the series … After going up 1-0 on a Brian Ching goal in Game 2 on Oct. 29, 2005, Ned Grabavoy scored for the Galaxy to end the Quakes’ hopes … That match marked the Quakes’ final game before the team was relocated to Houston on Dec. 15, 2005 … Since the Earthquakes rejoined MLS in 2008, the teams have met 10 times … San Jose has gone 3-4-3 during that stretch, including a 1-0 win in front of what was then a stadium-record crowd of 10,799 at Buck Shaw Stadium on Aug. 21, 2010, thanks to a fourth-minute goal by Chris Wondolowski … The sides played to a scoreless draw in front of a new Buck Shaw record crowd of 10,872 in last year’s first meeting on June 25, with the Quakes unable to find a goal despite out-shooting the Galaxy, 25-8, and playing with a man advantage for 47 minutes … The return fixture in Carson resulted in a 2-0 victory for LA as Robbie Keane scored the winner on his MLS debut … The Earthquakes were 2-0-1 against the Galaxy in 2012, rallying from two-goal deficits to knock off their Southern California rival on May 23, 3-2, at The Home Depot Center and June 30, 4-3, in front of 50,391 at Stanford Stadium … San Jose again came from behind in their final regular season meeting of 2012, equalizing a pair of one-goal deficits for a 2-2 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium … After defeating the Galaxy 1-0 in the first leg of Western Conference Semifinals, the Quakes dropped the second match at Buck Shaw Stadium 3-1 and were eliminated from the postseason.

Earthquakes – LA Galaxy Connections

Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan began his MLS career with the Earthquakes, producing 32 goals and 29 assists over 87 appearances from 2001-04 and helping lead San Jose to both of its MLS Cup titles in 2001 and 2003 … Quakes forward Alan Gordon played for the Galaxy from 2004-10, scoring 16 goals in 99 games … Quakes assistant coach Ian Russell played in three games for the Galaxy in 2007 … Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant was San Jose’s first-round selection in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft and played 46 games for the Earthquakes from 2003-04, producing one goal and six assists … Dunivant and Earthquakes forward Adam Jahn both attended Stanford … Dunivant was teammates with Quakes defender Nana Attakora on Toronto FC from 2007-08 … Galaxy assistant coach Curt Onalfo played in six matches for San Jose in 1997 … Galaxy technical director Jovan Kirovski played in nine matches for the Quakes in 2008 … Quakes defender Jason Hernandez was teammates with Galaxy midfielder Mike Magee with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in 2005 … Quakes goalkeeper David Bingham (2008-10) and Galaxy midfielder Hector Jimenez (2006-10) were teammates at Cal … Galaxy forward Robbie Keane and Quakes defender Peter McGlynn were both born in Ireland … LA Galaxy defender Tommy Meyer and San Jose defender Brad Ring both attended Indiana University … Galaxy midfielders Colin Clark (2006-10) and Pablo Mastroeni (2002-13) played on the Colorado Rapids with Quakes midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy (2007-10), defender Dan Gargan (2006-08) and defender Ty Harden (2009) … Clark also played with Earthquakes goalkeeper Evan Newton on the Houston Dynamo in 2011 … Galaxy midfielder Robbie Rogers was teammates with Quakes forward Steven Lenhart on the Columbus Crew from 2008-10.

Earthquakes Leaders vs. LA Galaxy

Chris Wondolowski has three goals in eight career appearances … Alan Gordon has scored four goals in four matches against his former club … Steven Lenhart has four goals and an assist in eight career appearances against LA … Ramiro Corrales has three assists in 30 career appearances … Jon Busch is 8-7-5 with six shutouts in his career against the Galaxy, including a 2-1-3 record with two shutouts in a Quakes uniform.

LA Galaxy Leaders vs. San Jose

Midfielder Landon Donovan has seven goals and five assists in 12 games against his old club … Forward Robbie Keane has two goals in three appearances … Midfielder Pablo Mastroeni has two assists in 23 career appearances against San Jose.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY APPEARANCES

Player Appearance at A’s Root Beer Float Day

Who: Player TBD

Where: Overstock.com Coliseum

When: Wednesday, June 26 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Visiting Patients at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

Who: Sam Cronin, Mehdi Ballouchy, Shea Salinas

Where: 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304

When: Thursday, June 27 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Update

The San Jose Earthquakes have six nominees on the 2013 AT&T MLS All-Star Game ballot: Chris Wondolowski, Jon Busch, Sam Cronin, Victor Bernardez, Justin Morrow and Adam Jahn. Bernardez and Wondolowski lead all defenders and forwards, respectively, while Cronin is No. 3 in the midfield vote. Fan voting is available via www.mlssoccer.com or by texting a player’s last name to 22442.

Earthquakes Aim to Improve on Home Unbeaten Streak vs. LA

The Earthquakes are unbeaten in their last seven home games against the LA Galaxy dating back to their expansion year in 2008. San Jose is 4-0-3 during the stretch with their last home loss against their Southern California rivals coming on June 14, 2008 at the Oakland Coliseum, 3-0.

Wondolowski Scoring Streak vs. LA

Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski has scored in three consecutive home games against the LA Galaxy. His streak began on Aug. 21, 2010 in a 1-0 win at Buck Shaw Stadium. Wondolowski scored in both of San Jose’s home games against the Galaxy in 2012, a game winner in a thrilling 4-3 comeback at Stanford Stadium on June 30 and a game-tying goal at Buck Shaw Stadium on Oct. 21.

Busch Hits Century Mark

Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch played his 100th career game for San Jose last week against D.C. United. He is second all-time behind Joe Cannon for games played by a goalkeeper with the Quakes.

Iron Men

The San Jose Earthquakes currently have one player that has played every minute of all 17 matches this season, Jon Busch. He has played 1,530 minutes.

Dasovic Named Assistant Coach

Nick Dasovic joined the Earthquakes as an assistant coach last week. The veteran coach arrives in San Jose after piloting the Canadian U-20 squad from 2011-13. Dasovic, 44, played alongside Earthquakes interim head coach Mark Watson for the Canadian national team and for one season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2005). His career highlights include 63 caps for his country as well as a stint as the interim head coach of Toronto FC.

Earthquakes to Host A&W Root Beer Float Night on July 13

The Earthquakes will host their third annual A&W Root Beer Float Night on Saturday, July 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. PT in the Epicenter Fan Zone prior to the club’s clash with Western Conference foe Seattle Sounders FC. Local celebrities, including the club’s broadcast team of Dan Dibley, Kate Scott and Kelly Gray, have teamed up with the Earthquakes for the charity event to scoop, pour and serve root beer floats to fans with a recommended $3 donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Each fan that makes the recommended donation will also receive an A&W souvenir cup while supplies last. Last year, the Earthquakes raised $10,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation as part of the second annual A&W Root Beer Float Night.

Earthquakes New Stadium Update

The Earthquakes unveiled a number of new features for the club’s stadium that is under construction at Coleman Ave. in San Jose. The team has added Game Day Clubs and has revealed that the seats in the new stadium will be blue. Additionally, the south end of the stadium will spell out ‘Quakes’ in the seats. All of the new features can be viewed in the newly launched interactive 3D seat map at www.sjearthquakes.com. The Earthquakes also announced the arrival of a new stadium mobile viewing center that allows fans to experience the club’s new venue in person. Appointments are available to drop by the mobile viewing center on game days or regular weekday business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT by calling club headquarters at 408-556-7700. Additionally, the Earthquakes gave fans a way to keep tabs on the construction process through a live webcam stationed at the construction site. The StreamCam HD will provide live and archived footage to fans at www.sjearthquakes.com and will collect images for a timelapse video of the completed project when the stadium opens, courtesy of EarthCam.

Former defender Momcilo “Gabbo” Gavric and former president Peter Bridgwater have been voted into the Earthquakes Hall of Fame. The pair of soccer legends will be inducted in a ceremony during halftime of San Jose’s match on July 27 against the Portland Timbers. For more information about the duo, click here.

The club will host its second annual Earthquakes 5K/10K Challenge, presented by Stanford Hospital & Clinics, benefiting The Health Trust of Silicon Valley and the San Jose Earthquakes Community Fund, on Sunday, Aug. 18. More information and a registration link are available at www.quakeschallenge.com. The 5K/10K Challenge begins at 8 a.m. with three options for runners of all ages. All participants receive a race t-shirt and access to a post-race celebration. The event is co-produced by Threshold Racing and Firstwave Events, the same companies that organize the San Jose Turkey Trot, Santa Cruz Half Marathon, and the San Jose Metro Triathlon.

T-Mobile 4G Power Zone Back for 2013

The Earthquakes have teamed with T-Mobile for the second year in a row to create the “T-Mobile 4G Power Zone” at all home games for the 2013 season. The promotion will give fans the opportunity to purchase great seats for only $17 – a discount of $10 off the day-of-game price, the most affordable Earthquakes tickets available to the public. Through the agreement, T-Mobile has rebranded the Corner Flag Section 107 at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara as the “T-Mobile 4G Power Zone.” For more information, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/tickets.

Quakes President Dave Kaval’s Office Hours

Earthquakes President Dave Kaval’s office hours will continue in 2013. Fans can drop by his office at 451 El Camino Real, Suite 201 in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesdays between 3 and 5 p.m. PT. Participants will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Be sure to read his blog, Kaval’s Kickoff, exclusively at www.sjearthquakes.com, and follow him on Twitter at @QuakesPrez.

Season Tickets on Sale/Priority for New Stadium

Season tickets for the 2013 season at Buck Shaw Stadium are still available. By purchasing season tickets for the final season at Buck Shaw Stadium, fans can enter the queue for priority seating for the Earthquakes New Stadium. Season ticket holders are currently selecting their seats for the New Stadium. To purchase season tickets or for more information, please contact the Earthquakes headquarters at 408-556-7700.

Stanford Stadium Tickets Now on Sale

Ticket sales for the Quakes match at Stanford on June 29 against the LA Galaxy, presented by XFINITY, are moving quickly with over 35,000 tickets already sold. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.sjearthquakes.com or calling 800-225-2277. Groups of 10 or more should call the club’s headquarters at 408-556-7700. Last year’s match drew a capacity crowd of 50,391 for a 4-3 Earthquakes win against the Galaxy.

Wells Fargo Goals for Education

Wells Fargo has again pledged to donate $250 for each goal the Earthquakes score in 2013 through the Goals for Education program. The club has raised $3,750 so far this season thanks to 15 goals. The Earthquakes raised $18,000 in 2012 after scoring a club record 72 goals.

ACADEMY NOTES

McIntosh Named to U.S. Roster for FIFA U-20 World Cup

Earthquakes Academy goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh is with the United States for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. McIntosh played for the club’s academy squad in 2010-11 and has spent his last two years with the University of Santa Clara. The U.S. U-20’s were drawn into a difficult group for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. They open Group A play with a 4-1 loss against Spain last week and tied France 1-1 on Monday. The U.S. closes out group play with a June 27 match against Ghana at Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri, Turkey, at 9:45 a.m. PT, live on ESPNU and WatchESPN.